Had he stayed healthy, he surely would be a top-10 guard in the Western Conference. [77], McCollum has been married to his college sweetheart Elise Esposito since October 27, 2020. As a freshman in 2005, he was considerably undersized, standing at only 5ft 2in (1.57m). [3], Throughout his high school career, McCollum worked at refining his shooting stroke; the successful effort was reflected in the 29.3 points per game he averaged during his senior season. 1991 Combining for 62 PTS, @CJMcCollum (33p/8r/5a) & @Dame_Lillard (29p/4r/6a) propel the @trailblazers to a 2-0 series lead! He scored 34 points in Mondays win over the Washington Wizards. New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3), shown here driving against Brooklyn Nets forward TJ Warren at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, will be back home with his teammates Wednesday night following a five-game road trip, as the Pels take on the Miami Heat. Averaging 21.3 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game on 40% shooting from three,. Ingram admitted after the win that he knows the margin of error is small for the Pels as they attempt to stay above water with all the injuries popping up. Twitter: Damian Lillard and Devin Booker are totally understandable choices. Afterward, Alvarado said New Orleans stars not having inflated egos is part of why the team has a strong locker room. As McCollum dressed at his locker, Jaxson Hayes screamed, Second team All-Defense, CJ McCollum! 6. From a group standpoint, the best of it came during Game One of the First Round of the 2017 Playoffs, in which Lillard and McCollum combined for 75 points, just shy of the record shared by Aldridge-Lillard and Drexler-Porter groupings. He knew the Pelicans plan was to wear Lillard down throughout the game. 0:23; Ingram also made his presence felt on defense with active off-ball rotations and solid on-ball work 1-on-1. To open the 2020-21 campaign, the talented two-guard played as if that stat was on his psyche. McCollum moved into the starting lineup for good in 2015-16, joining Lillard in the backcourt, and they teamed to lead Portland to playoff appearances each of the next five seasons, highlighted by a trip to the 2019 Western Conference finals. Do you have a blog? [75] Guests on the show have included Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony. Christian James McCollum (born September 19, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). However lively the yearly trade-deadline chatter might be, there's a reason CJ McCollum is still in Portland. For Lillard and McCollum, that cohesion was at its most prolific in the spring of 2019. Knowing that if we blitz (Lillard) with Willy and (Jaxson Hayes), what if we go with Herb at the five? Pels coach Willie Green said. Just staying consistent in playing super hard all the time, forward Herb Jones told The Athletic. Portland Trail Blazers: Will CJ McCollum be an All Star in 2021? [81], McCollum is involved in his community as a radio personality and philanthropist. [64] On August 7, 2021, McCollum was elected president of the National Basketball Players Association, succeeding Chris Paul who had served since 2013. PORTLAND -- After playing more than 500 regular-season games together as teammates with the Portland Trail Blazers, guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum squared off against each other for the first time Wednesday, more than a year after McCollum was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in February 2022. Sports Illustrated's 38th-best player last season has also been humble in the biggest moments since joining the New Orleans Pelicans, both collectively and individually. Talk about Blazers vs. Hawks First Half Here! Off the court, McCollum has long taken a keen interest in journalism. Taking care of business for the players. McCollum checked Haynes for being among those who didnt expect the pairing to work when they first started, highlighting some of the chip on their shoulder approaches that Portland fans have come to know all too well. He is averaging 21.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists. Carmelo Anthony, CJ McCollum snubbed as reserves in 2021 NBA All-Star Game The NBPA President has 21 games to change minds. Despite averaging 26.7 points, 5.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 44.1% from three, all career highs, McCollums name was missing from the list of reserves for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game. Enter Game Two. [35] He set another career-high for points scored with 43 on January 1 during a 9589 win over the Timberwolves. Latest on New Orleans Pelicans shooting guard CJ McCollum including complete game-by-game stats on ESPN. I dont know what it is. During the Pelicans win against the Wizards, Alvarado kept telling McCollum what he was seeing on the court during stoppages in play. If you look at the numbers, Pelicans guard CJ McCollum is easily an All-Star caliber player. To close with a fun fact: from 2015-16 to 2021-22, only eight players averaged 20+ every season; McCollum and Lillard were the only duo to have done so. Still, it was McCollum and the Pelicans who emerged with a key victory in the battle for spots in the Western Conference play-in, snapping a four-game losing streak and moving 1.5 games ahead of the Blazers in the standings. Odds & lines subject to change. Towards the climax of that stretch, Lillard, in the middle of the 51-point game against Utah (of course), stepped to the free throw line, awaiting the ball before a familiar chant orchestrated by McCollum and Carmelo Anthony broke out: The entire arena gives Dame MVP chants after his 51-point game pic.twitter.com/kUZ4Fpv692. If its in Gods plan for it to happen, so be it, McCollum said. But as long as we remain solid and be us, then we are going to be all right.. When Dame was out this year, his usage spiked and he put up great numbers. McCollum is not an out-of-the-blue candidate either. McCollum is not known for his defense, but he said he has so much familiarity with Lillards game that he wanted to take on that responsibility early on. Pelicans Drop In The West At The Hands Of The Warriors A couple hundred tickets remain, and three days. Lillard's teammates, Carmelo Anthony and CJ McCollum, did not make the All-star reserve list, despite being in the top-10 in fan voting just last week. "It's cool to compete against your peers and your friends and people that you respect and you worked with. CJ McCollum has started the 2021 season on a high. Big-time stuff. once 30-8 and No. MLB swings and misses in political debacle to move All-Star game * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). The Bulls add by subtraction while the Raptors bring on a sneaky good addition to their second unit. Why CJ McCollum is the most underappreciated superstar in the NBA While on the sidelines during a break in the action, McCollum caught a glimpse of the Smoothie King Center jumbotron. Over that span, Lillard averaged 45.1 points, 9.6 assists, and 5.5 rebounds on 53-53-88 splits (no, there are no typos there), with the sub-.500 Blazers needing every ounce of it to keep their fledgling postseason aspirations alive. After . For the Blazers, then 29-37, injury-riddled and flawed, this meant that they had nearly a half-year to lick their wounds, reassess their situation, and most of all, figure out how they would stay within striking distance of the eighth-seeded Grizzlies for a shot at a Western Conference Play-In Game. [4], As a sophomore in 201011, McCollum increased his averages to 21.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per outing. Of those most high-profile, Game Four against the Grizzlies proved to be the most enticing. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. There will be no Jamal Murray jokes today. If it happens, thats great. The 2021 All Star Game in Indianapolis is still almost a year away. 3jmccollum, Position: Like most every other team in the NBA from 2014-15 to 2018-19, performances didnt hold the same value unless you did it against the Golden State Warriors. [46] On March 28, McCollum had a 42-point effort, which came in a 108103 loss to the Grizzlies. For better or worse, there havent been many duos quite like them. Vote here: https://n. I just do my job. CJ McCollum is playing like the second All-Star Damian Lillard needs We believed in the gameplan, and it wasnt about who gets the credit. CJ McCollum was born on September 19, 1991. CJ McCollum's first game against Damian Lillard yields much-needed Here are a few factors that will affect his All Star chances next season. "@CJMcCollum speaks with the crew after Portland's win. If the Portland Trail Blazers guard continues in this vein of form, he is a surefire All-Star selection. All-Star honors stick on a resume forever and he might be the best active player without those bragging rights. It has been almost one year since the Pelicans traded for McCollum and Larry Nance Jr. By the time the year is over, he will have collected close to $180 million in career earnings. The win moved New Orleans to 1.5 games ahead of Portland in the West. CJ McCollum's For Pelicans-Lakers Game - Fastbreak on FanNation Zion Williamson is sitting fourth in the Western Conference frontcourt tallies. Major League Baseball announced Friday that this season's All-Star Game and draft will not be held in Atlanta in response to Georgia's recently passed laws that placed new restrictions on voting. We came out and just competed, played hard. [41] McCollum would play in 80 games and start in all of them while averaging 21.4 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists a night. Among players to log at least 500 games, McCollum's 19.4 points per game scoring average ranks No. MLB pulls All-Star Game from Atlanta in protest of restrictive new While we're not even close to seeing who earns a spot on the annual squad, one player who has seemingly been on the fringes of the roster for years is Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum. Can you help us send children in need to see the Blazers play the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, March 29th? On defense, the lead guard has snatched 13 steals and even gotten 8 blocks. McCollum's 'Healthy Habits': Yoga, Wine and Podcasting", "CJ McCollum reacts to NBA suspending season, remains hopeful that season will resume", "New Orleans Pelicans' CJ McCollum joining ESPN as an NBA analyst", "CJ McCollum and Elise Esposito's Wedding Was an Intimate Affair in Oregon Wine Country", "CJ and Elise McCollum welcome son Jacobi James McCollum", "C.J. [78] They have one son named Jacobi who was born on January 10, 2022. 1 / 23 CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 19: CJ McCollum #3 of the New Orleans Pelicans shoots a three point basket during the game during the MTN DEW 3-Point Contest as part of 2022 NBA All Star. 'Felt like practice': Lillard, McCollum square off, 'Not going out this way': Nets, down 28, stun C's, Kerr touts 5-0 homestand: Dubs 'turned a corner', KD: Mavs tilt, Kyrie meeting 'just another game', Owner: Snyder, Fields will bring Hawks success, Isaac has surgery on adductor, done for season, Clips' Powell out at least a week to treat shoulder, LeBron to have tendon injury checked in 3 weeks. CJ McCollum on potentially making the All-Star game this year: "I get paid like an All-Star" 12 Jan 2023 03:28:42 Describing life as a score-first backcourt, and how to manage when one player is hot, how to take a step back, and how they stacked up amongst NBA historys top backcourts. If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click 'Reject all'. Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson have combined to miss 42 games. That didnt stop the Blazers duo from putting together signature moments in the process. But desperation also provides a much-needed opportunity to think outside the box and generate positive results. McCollum scored a season-high 42 points to go along with a franchise-record 11 made three-pointers. 6 overall in 2012, they took McCollum with another lottery pick (No. Trailing by 10 with less than eight minutes to go, that Lillard-McCollum (and Aldridge) trio pieced together 25 points together to help avoid elimination. Ingram shot a tidy 18-of-29 from the field and didnt record a single turnover in 38 minutes of game action. With so many to choose from, its likely that many slipped through the cracks or have more significant backstories than others. A large black-and-white photo of McCollums late fadeaway jumper in a Game 7 win over Denver in the 2019 playoffs hangs on a gray, tiled wall about 10 feet away from Portlands locker room. But me knowing him the way I know him and having to compete against him, I wanted to make sure I got out front and set the tone early.. [2] On August 7, 2021, he was elected president of the National Basketball Players Association, replacing Chris Paul. Because so many special moments followed each other, one after another in the 2019 Western Conference Semifinals, well cheat. Long before they teamed up in Portland, McCollum (Lehigh University) and Lillard (Weber State University) took turns leading the nation in scoring. [20], Exercising their fourth-year team option on September 30, 2015, the Trail Blazers extended McCollum's rookie scale-contract through the 201617 season. CJ McCollum Has Reached All-Star Status - thecoldwire.com Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. On December 27, McColllum put up 35 points to go along with 11 rebounds and 9 assists during a 9894 win over the Sacramento Kings. Gabor won zero championships. When McCollum made his first visit back to Portland last March, Lillard was sidelined by season-ending surgery to repair an abdominal injury. [57] In Game 6, he scored 30 points in a 119108 win, helping the Blazers tie the series against the Nuggets at 33. I understand the work he puts in and he understands the work I put in, and we continue to empower each other., CJ McCollum says he doesnt care if he never makes an All-Star Game, heres why, McCollum looked like a bonafide All-Star before suffering a left mid-foot fracture that sidelined him for nearly two months. But for the first time in his career, McCollum walked through that back hallway with the intention of beating Lillard and handing his new team a historic night of their own. By this point, the Blazers, once 30-8 and No. You have permission to edit this article. Pick Your Poison The 2019 Western Conference Semifinals Duel vs. DEN. I think we all care about each other, Alvarado said. Lillard finished with 29 points and six assists, McCollum with 33 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Although McCollum has only played 13 games and has been sidelined dealing with a foot injury, he was averaging 26.7 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game for the Trail Blazers. He has made 55/114 (48%) of his three-pointers but has committed 46 turnovers. Despite. McCollum is shooting a healthy 40.1% on catch-and-shoot 3s this season. It was the second time hes scored at least 40 points in a game without logging a turnover. Or write about sports? You could argue I should have made it in previous years. pic.twitter.com/GRbo89wKhV, New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 2, 2023. He never made an All-NBA Team. McCollum played college basketball for the Lehigh Mountain Hawks and was named the Patriot League Player of the Year in both 2010 and 2012. Vote for New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum and the rest of the team to help bring real jazz to Utah for the 2023 NBA All-Star game. 'I get paid like an All-Star. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, CJ McCollum questionable for Wednesday road game at Lakers, 5 things to know about the Pelicans on Feb. 14, 2023. To begin the night, the Pelicans had McCollum guarding the red-hot Lillard, who entered the game averaging 38.7 points over the previous 20 games.